Sharjah Municipality offices have witnessed a surge in tenants rushing to have their tenancy contracts attested before the power supply is disconnected, a senior municipality official confirmed Wednesday.
Khalid Al Shamsi, director of consumer protection department at Sharjah Municipality told Gulf News that tenants were given a grace period of three months to attest their old contracts, in addition to receiving a 50 per cent discount.
"Tenants have been given ample time to register their tenancy contracts and now they have to take the responsibility if they fail to do so," said Al Shamsi.
"Tenants who have expired tenancy contracts now will first be issued with three warnings. Each warning gives them a grace period of one week, so tenants will have a total of 21 days to re-attest their contracts before the electricity and water supply is disconnected," Al Shamsi said.
In addition to having their power cut off, tenants will also be subject to a fine.
Penalties
Al Shamsi said the municipality had coordinated with other governmental departments in the emirate who will now request a copy of an attested tenancy contract before carrying out transactions with residents.
"New contracts that were made in 2012 are given only 60 days to renew their contracts, or else they will face the same penalties like everybody else," he said.
Sharjah Municipality offered a 50 per cent discount on overdue attestation fees from January to February 29, which also applied to tenancy contracts signed last year.
Sharjah levies a fee equivalent to two per cent to renew the annual tenancy contract that costs a minimum of Dh300. Previously; tenants were required to have their contracts attested within 15 days from the date of issuance.
Al Shamsi added that renewing the tenancy contract with the municipality was essential because it benefits both the tenants as well as the landlords.
"If tenants have any sort of problem and want to lodge a complaint with the Consumer Department because their landlord has drastically raised the rent, they cannot do so if they are not registered with the municipality," he said.
Location: Several offices
Tenants are able to register their tenancy contracts with Sharjah Municipality at any of the municipality branches, including those in Al Qasimia, Al Nasserya, Al Majaz, Al Khalidya and Al Merraija
Timings: 7.30am-2pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 8am-12pm on Saturday.
